Litter carrier



4 SHEETS-SHEE-T 3 H. L. FERRIS.

LITTER CAR-BIER.

FILED JuLYzs, 1920.

y Mar. 1s, 1923.

Y Patented Mar. 1?, 1923.

T Nr y orion.

HENRY L. FERRIS, OF HARVARD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HUNT, HELM, FERRIS &

COMPANY, 0F HARVARD,

ILLINOIS', A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

LITTER CARRIER.

Application filed July 26, 1920. Serial No. 399,101.

To all whom t may concern.' y

Be it known that I, HENRY L. F Ennis, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harvard, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Litter Carriers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to litter carriers and is fully described in thefollowing specication and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a litter carrier embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevationof same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation similar to Fig. 2, but shown partly insection;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a view on the line 5 of Fig.`4;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the chain guide.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7 of Fig. 2, and,

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 of- Fig. 1.

The track for this litter carrier consists of two angles 10 placed backto back and secured together with supports 1l placed therebetween.Wheels 12 as shown i'n Fig. 4 are adapted to roll on the angles 10.These wheels are journaled on pins 13 which are vcarried by the truck14.

A bearing 15 is hingedly mounted in the truck 14 by means of a pin 16having a head 16Z1 and carries pins 17 upon which are journaled rollers18. A hollow shaft 20 passes thru the openings in the two bearings 15and rests upon the rollers 18. An evener 21 lies between the rollers 18as shown in Fig. 5 and has slotted openings 21c which act as guides andthrough which pass the pinsl7. The members 21 also have a hook 21a ateach side which engages a chain 21b by which it is suspended from thetruck 14. One end of the chain 22 is attached to the bottom of each ofthe members 21 while the middle of the chain is secured to the shaft 2Oby means of a cleat 23. Thus it will be seen that the weight carried bvthe outer ends of the chain 22 (see Fig. 1,) is applied thru the chains2-1b to hanger 14 and is not carried by the shaft 20.

Sheaves 24 are carried by the loop thus formed in the chain 22 and thesesheaves are carried in sheave blocks 24a having a hook 24b at theirlower end by which t ey engage eyes 25a on the bail 25. Thus varimadeintegralwith the bracket- 15a.

ous receptacles such as that shown in my Patent N o. 1,027,715 for feed,for litter and the like, each having its own bail 25 may be quicklyattached to and detached from the hooks 24, thereby obviating thenecessity of supplying an entire carrier for each individual receptacleas has heretofore been done.

As shown-in Figs. 1 and 7 the gear 26 is bolted tothe shaft 20 andmeshes with a pinion 27 which is ournaled on the pin 28, the latterbeing carried by the bearing 15. The pinion 27 is secured to the gear 29which meshes with the gear 30. The latter is formed on the hub of thechain sheavel 31 which is journaled on the end of the -shaft 20. Abearing member 32 is journaled on the shaft 20 outside the chain sheave31 and is secured to the bracket 15a by means of a screw 33.

The chain sheave 31 has an annular groove 34 from which extend recesses35 at regular intervals of asize and form to accommodate the chain 36.The chain 36 passes thruthe chain guides 37 and 38 which are preferablyA pawl 39 is hingably mounted on the cap` screw 33 and has a roundedshoulder 40 adapted to engage the depressions 35 in the chain sheave 31.The pawl is vnormally held in engagement with the sheave by the spring41. An extension 42 on the awl 39 is adapted to be formed inv the`annuigar groove 34 and to serve as a brake on the chain' sheave 31. Anoperating chain 43 is connected to the pawl and another chain 44`connects the pawl with an operating lever 45 which is hingably mountedat 46 and thru which passes the chain 36.

l/Vh'en 'it is vdesired to raise the carrier frame V25 the operatorpulls down on the part of the chain 36 passing thru the operating lever45. By pulling this chain to the right, the chain 44 withdraws the pawl39 and permits the chain sheave 31 to turn without touching the roundedend 40. In the same way where it is desired to lower the carrier framesomewhat this same side of the chain 36 may be drawn by the operator tothe right thereby releasing the pawl 39, when the chain 44 will be fedtoward the chain sheave thereby permitting the weight of the carrierframe to turn the shaft 20 so as to lower it.

The carrier frame may also be lowered by pulling upon the chain 43thereby releasing more modifications. the construction and arrangementmay be 'trucks and lturn' freely 'so as to accommodate itself to anybends in the track 10. rlhe weight, however, onthe chain 2lb tendsalways to bring `thetrucks 14 back into alignment.

While l have shown and described but a single embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many Changes,therefore, in

made which do not depart from the scope of the appended claims in whichit is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my 1nvention asbroadly as possible in view of the prior art.

What l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. ln combination, an overhead track, trucks adapted to run on saidtrack, a container, a chain at `each side of each of said attachedthereto at their upper ends, said chains 'being connected at theirlowerjends by an evener, said container being swung from the vmiddle ofsaid cvener so that thelweight of the container will tend to maintainthe trucks in aligned positions.

2. in combination, an overhead track, trucks adapted to run on saidtrack, a horizontal shaft, bearings for said shaft and means flexiblysuspending each bearing from its truck'at a point above the axis of saidshaft, each bearing having 'rollers journalled thereon upon which saidshaft rolls.

3. 'In 3on'i'b'ination, an overhead track, trucks adapted to run'on saidtrack, a hori- Zontal shaft, bearings for said shaft, means flexiblyconnecting said bearing to its truck at a point above the axis of saidshaft, each bearing carrying rollers upon which said shaft rolls evenerssuspended from said trucks, a chain suspended from each of said eveners,the opposite ends ofsaid chains being attached to said shaft and acontainer bailsuspended from said chains.

4. in a hoist yfor litter carriers,trucks,a shaft, bearings for saidshaft carried by said trucks, chains each having one end wound on saidshaft, the opposite ends of saidy chainsbeiug supported by said trucks,a container frame suspended on said chains, a chain pulley j'ournaled onsaid shaft, said pulley being geared to drive said shaft and means forlocking said shaft against rotation. i

5. in alhoist for litter carriers, trucks, a shaft, bearings for saidshaft carried by said trucks, chains having adjacent ends woundon saidshaft,'the opposite ends ofisaid chains being supported by said trucks,a 'carrier frame suspended en said chains,-a

chain pulley journaled on said shaft, said pulley being geared to driveysaid shaft and a pawl adaptedto engage said chain pulley to preventrotation of the shaft.

6: in a hoist for litter carriers, trucks, a shaft, bearings for saidshaft carried by vsaid trucks, chains having adjacent ends wound on saidshaft, the opposite ends of said chains being supported by said trucks,a carrier framesuspended on said chains, a

chain pulley journaled on said shaft, said pulley being geared to drivesaid shaft, a pawl adapted to engage said chain pulley toprevent'rotation of the shaft, and a means v operableby the chainrunning over said chain pulley to release said pawl.

7. ln a hoist for littercarriers, trucks, a shaft, bearings for saidshaft carried by said trucks, chains having adjacent endswound on saidshaft, the opposite'ends of said chains being supported by said trucks,a carrier frame suspended 4on said chains, a chain pulley7 journaled onsaid shaft, said pulley being geared to drive said shaft, means ferlooking said shaft vagainst rotation, a brake member connected to saidpawl and adapted to engage said chain ypulley and a control means forreleasing said pawl and applying said brake.

HENRY L. FERBlS.

